Month: April 2016

Digestive disorders are painful, and since all organs require nutrients to function, if a person’s digestion is off, so is his total body health.

Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) is a very common digestive disorder. In fact, millions of people (approx. 1 in 5 to be clear) suffer with this embarrassing disease, which causes a variety of symptoms such as abdominal cramping, heartburn, gas, increased (and painful) bowel movements, and even chest pain, bloody stool, and fever. In addition, people with IBS often suffer from other pain disorders such as fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue, and chronic pain.

Digestive problems are definitely not something to take lightly. While many people resort to prescription medications to treat and minimize their symptoms, what they don’t know is that those drugs may actually be causing toxic effects and further debilitating their already-weak digestive system. Not to mention, most digestive disorders can be traced back to a similar set of causes, which suggests that getting to the root of the problem, rather than masking symptoms with medication, may actually help eliminate it altogether.

Thankfully, many qualified Maximized Living doctors have seen great results in their patients who struggle with IBS and digestive disorders.

If you’re one of those people, here are some steps you can take to reverse it.

Make better nutritional and lifestyle choices. The advanced and core Maximized Living programs can help you make better choices when it comes to your food. If you have IBS, then you should definitely be on the advanced plan.

Eliminate alcohol, caffeine, refined sugars, and fatty foods. This can significantly reduce symptoms. Cutting out gluten and grains is also important for recovery.

Remove known food allergens or irritants. This one goes without saying. J

Take a daily probiotic. The Maximized Living Vitamin D3 with Probiotic and is something we recommend you take daily. Several studies recently prove that probiotics are not only safe, but effective, in improving symptoms of IBS and bowel movement frequency.

Locate a Maximized Living doctor in your area. They can help you get to the cause of IBS by performing a thorough spinal examination and analysis. As mentioned above, sensitive nerves are a key part of digestive disorders, IBS, and similar syndromes.

If you’re in Charlotte, Dr. Holly is offering 15-minute FREE consultations over the phone! Call us today at (980) 422-2000, or fill out the form on this page to schedule yours.

Most commercial sunscreens contain toxic chemicals that may contribute to the growth of skin cancer. Yet every summer, we continue to slather it on our bodies in an effort to prevent skin cancer and avoid being sunburned. Why?

The truth is, most of us are ignorant of the dangers of sunscreen. The makers of these products are not required to disclose the potentially toxic effects of the ingredients they contain, and the media constantly inundates us with messages about sunscreen being the best way to prevent cancer.

It’s time we know the truth. Summer is on the horizon, and many of us will spend hours by the pool or the beach. How can you avoid harmful suncare products and prevent sunburn without having to avoid the sun altogether? Here are a few facts the makers of sunscreen products aren’t telling you:

#1: The sun is good for you. It’s a common misconception that spending time outdoors will cause skin cancer. In reality, indoor workers have higher incidences of melanoma than outdoor workers who are exposed to the sun all day long. Moreover, cancer patients who previously received more sunlight than those who didn’t have higher survival rates.

Sunlight is made up of three types of ultraviolet rays: UVA, UVB, and UVC. UVC rays don’t reach the earth, so we don’t have much to worry about with those. UVB rays are strong during the middle of the day, while UVA rays are most common during early morning and late afternoon. Most sunscreens are produced to filter out UVB rays. It’s these rays that are taken into account when measuring the SPF (sun-protection factor) of a sunscreen. Because of this, most of us believe UVB rays are the ones to avoid. Nothing could be further from the truth. In fact, UVB rays actually produce Vitamin D, which is our best defense against diseases, including skin cancer. This essential vitamin goes directly into our genes to prevent any abnormalities that ultraviolet light may cause.

Most Americans are Vitamin D-deficient, which means we need more sun, not less.

#2: Three out of five sunscreen brands are ineffective and contain harmful ingredients. Your skin is a very porous and absorbent organ. In fact, you can test this idea for yourself by putting a clove of raw garlic between your toes. Within seconds of doing so, you’ll be able to taste its flavor in your mouth. That’s how fast your skin absorbs what you put on it.

My rule of thumb is never to put anything on your skin that you wouldn’t be willing to put in your mouth. Yet, most of us will use beauty products containing toxic chemicals without even batting an eye. The chemicals found in commercial sunscreens are not only toxic; they may actually contribute to the growth of cancer cells. And we thought we were preventing skin cancer by using them!

Some of the most common harmful ingredients include: octinoxate, oxybenzone, nano zinc oxide, and nano titanium dioxide (to name a few.) These ingredients have been found to interfere with our body’s hormonal systems and even damage DNA.

#3: There are much better ways to prevent sunburn, while still getting plenty of Vitamin D. A few things I recommend:

Use coconut oil. It’s natural and found in most sunscreens already, and you can buy it at just about any grocery store. Simply scoop it out from the jar and apply directly to the skin.

Use non-nano zinc oxide. Nano zinc oxide particles are small enough to penetrate the skin; non-nano zinc oxide particles are not, so they’re safer. If you know you’re going to be out in the sun for a while and need something stronger than coconut oil to protect your skin, this is the best solution.

Hang out in the shade at noontime. It’s best to avoid spending hours in the sun in the middle of the day. If you must, wear hats and long-sleeved shirts, and try to stay in shaded areas.

Take a good Vitamin D supplement. We recommend Maximized Living Vitamin D3 + Probiotic. It’s a great immune-system booster and will help you get your daily dose of healthy Vitamin D on rainy days. (If you set up a monthly autoship from my store, you’ll receive a discount and never run out!)

Which brings me to my #1 recommendation for staying healthy and preventing cancer: keep living the Maximized Living lifestyle! Make sure you’re incorporating the 5 DREAM principles of healthy living into your daily routine.

At Queen City Health Center, we see a lot of moms-to-be (as well as their babies after birth.) Dr. Holly is well-versed in chiropractic care for babies and children in Charlotte NC. In fact, the family-centered nature of our practice is often what attracts people to our office and retains them as long-term clients for preventative maintenance and alternative care, months or even years after their initial health problems have been corrected.

One of our longtime patients recently gave birth to a healthy baby boy, so we thought we’d start this month off with a blog post about the benefits of Charlotte chiropractic care during pregnancy! If you’re a pregnant mama, here are seven reasons you may want to consider seeing a chiropractor before your due date approaches:

Reason #1: Overall Comfort

Perhaps the biggest reason to see a Charlotte chiropractor while pregnant is to improve your overall comfort levels, especially in later trimesters. For all of the other reasons listed below, you’re bound to be more comfortable throughout your pregnancy, labor, and birth if you’re getting adjusted regularly. A good chiropractor will put your body into correct alignment and help minimize the symptoms that often cause discomfort to expectant mothers.

Reason #2: Better Sleep

This was the #1 thing that our most recent pregnant patient said improved for her during her third trimester — which also happens to be the period that a lot of mamas report bouts of insomnia. Because your sleep positions are limited (you’re basically supposed to lie on your left side once your belly gets big), it can be hard to get and stay comfortable during the late and early morning hours. Also, you’re likely to get hungry and have to urinate more frequently as the baby grows, which results in more frequent night wakings. Chiropractic adjustments can help regulate the hormones that affect your sleep cycles, so that even if you do wake up, you’re able to fall back to sleep and sleep better.

Reason #3: Immune Function

It’s well known that a pregnant woman’s immune system operates at a lower capacity than that of a non-pregnant woman, no matter how healthy her lifestyle. Chiropractic care helps with so much more than back pain. A good, holistic Charlotte chiropractor like Dr. Holly can attest to having helped hundreds of people improve their immune system function long-term. Staying healthy while you’re growing a baby should be a top priority.

Reason #4: Improved Digestion

Constpation. It’s another one of those dreaded pregnancy symptoms that so many women experience. And it seems like no matter how much extra fiber and green leafy vegetables you eat, you just can’t seem to kick it, right? Have no fear — your Charlotte Chiropractor is here! Believe it or not, getting your spine into proper alignment can have a big effect on your body’s ability to excrete waste.

Reason #5: Baby’s Position

If your baby is breech, a chiropractor can apply the Webster technique during your regular adjustments to get him into the proper position for labor and birth. Doing so will ensure the whole process is faster and easier for both mama and her little, which brings us to reason #6…

Reason #6: Faster Labor & Birth

Did you know that chiropractic care is said to take as many as 12 hours off of a woman’s labor? That was enough for our most recent pregnant mama to seek us out during her third trimester when she was pregnant with her first child, and enough to make her stick around and keep receiving care during her second pregnancy as well. She has since given birth to two healthy babies (drug-free and intervention-free) in the comfort of her own home and believes a large part of the ease was due to the weekly adjustments she received throughout both pregnancies.

Reason #7: Milk Supply

Charlotte chiropractic adjustments can help reduce stress (something every new mama experiences, especially in the first few weeks after giving birth). Increased stress can have a huge effect on when and how well a new mom’s milk comes in, and if not properly addressed, can negatively impact breastfeeding, both short- and long-term. Our most recent pregnant mama experienced a lot of stress, and as a result, had very low milk supply during her first 7 days postpartum. She had to get breastmilk from a donor just to feed her baby. As soon as she went in for an adjustment, voila! Her milk came in the very next day, and she successfully breastfed her first child for almost two years.

Are you a pregnant woman living in Charlotte, NC?

As we’ve demonstrated in this post, Charlotte chiropractic care can help you have a more comfortable pregnancy, a faster and easier labor, and a natural, intervention-free birth! Call our office at 980.422.2000 to learn more and to schedule a no-obligation consultation with Dr. Holly.

Queen City Health Center is a Charlotte Chiropractic and total wellness center for individuals and families. With locations across Charlotte, NC and Matthews, NC, we specialize in helping individuals and families find true health and ways to maximize their lives through nutrition, lifestyle classes, detoxification and spinal correction.